Rotary cutter



April 4, 1933. E. A. BESSOM ROTARY CUTTER Filed July 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l //Vl/E/V 70/2.

April 4, 1933. E. A. BESSOM ROTARY CUTTER Filed July 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //v l/E/V 70/21 Patented Apr. 4, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EARL A. BESSOM, OE MARBLEHEAD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY ROTARY CUTTER Application filed July 11, 1929, Serial No. 977,438, and in Great Britain July 12, 1928.

This invention relates to rotary cutters and is exemplified herein with reference to a cutter for use in fitting the soles of shoes fo the reception of wood heels.

In the manufacture of shoes to which wood heels are to be attached, it is customary to prepare the heel-seat portions of the soles of the shoes for the reception of the concave attaching faces of the heels by trimming off surplus stock around the periphery of the heel-seat portion of each shoe and forming heel-breast-receiving abutments or shoulders at the heel-breast line of the sole. This operation is commonly known. as heel-seat fitting.

In United States Letters Patent No. 1,697,251 granted January 1, 1929 to John L. Preo and Isabelle Henne there is described a heel-seat fitting machine having a rotary. cutter arranged to be moved around the periphery of the heel-seat portion of a sole attached to a shoe, the axis of the cutter being disposed normal to the plane of the sole to trim the heel seat portion of the sole to a shape complemental to the concave-attaching face of a heel which is to be applied to the sole. Rotary cutters of the character used to trim the heel-seat portion of a sole to conform to the concave-attaching face of a wood heel, which cutters are commonly known as rotary back cutters, are not adapted to form heelbreast-receiving shoulders of a shape complemental to the breast of a Cuban heel with which the shoulders are to register when the heel is positioned upon the shoe nor are such cutters adapted to form a well-defined dihedral angle between each of the heel-breastreceiving shoulders and the heel-seat portion of the sole, each of which angles should be substantially equal to the angle formed between the breast and the attaching face of the heel.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved rotary cutter for effectively operating upon soles of shoes to form heelbreast-receiving shoulders upon the soles and to wing out portions of the heel-seat portions of the soles adjacent to the shoulders.

In order to provide a fitted sole which will mateaccurately with the attaching face and the top portion of the breast of a Cuban heel. there is described but not claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,837,399, granted December 22, 1931 on an application filed in dihedral angle of the desired magnitude between each of the shoulders and the heel-seat portion of the sole.

With the above object in view and in accordance with a feature of the invention, the illustrated cutter is provided with a series of circumferentially disposed shoulder-formin teeth having cutting edges which are of the general shape of a conic section and lie substantially in the conical surface of one of two cones having a common base, and a second series of circumferentially disposed wingingout teeth of the general shape of a conic section having cutting edges which lie substantially'in the conical surface of the other cone, the teeth of one series being in staggered relation circumferentially of the cones to theteeth of the other series and forming therewith a chip disposing channel extending substantially circumferentially of the cutter and defined in part by opposed faces formed on consecutive teeth, respectively, and each of which terminates in one of the cutting edges.

The opposed faces above mentioned are inclined at a substantial angle to the common base of the cones in order that the cutting edges will sever solematerial by a series of draw slicing cuts and will form a smoothly finished surface upon the sole. In order that a cleancut dihedral angle will be formed between the shoulders and the forward part of the heel seat the outer ends of the cutting edges of both series terminate at the periphery of the common base of the cones, in the conical surfaces'of which the cutting edges of the teeth lie.

' Inoperating upon the soles of shoes, there is a tendency for the sole to be picked up by a cutter with the result that the cutter penetrates too deeply into the sole. In order that the cutter will not pick up the sole and in accordance with a further feature of the invention, each of the shoulder-forming teeth is so arranged that it cuts downwardly upon the sole and tends to hold down the sole as it generates the heel-breast-receiving shoulders. As an additional precaution against the sole being picked up and in accordance with another feature of the invention, the illustrated cutter is provided with a conical surface or button located near one of its ends and arranged to engage the sole during the operation of the cutter.

The rotary cutter illustrated as embodying the invention and the method of making the same will now be described with reference to the drawings in which,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a steel blank having the general shape of two cones placed base to base from which the illustrated rotary cutter is made;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rotary cutter in the process of manufacture, a series of grooves having been formed in the blank atequally spaced distances cireumferentially of the conical surfaces of the blank;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the partially finished cutter shown in Fig. 2 after another series of grooves joining the grooves of the first cut series has been cut in the blank at circumferentially spaced portions of the conical surfaces of the blank;

Fig. at illustrates the partially completed cutter shown in Fig. 3 after secondary clearance has been provided for the winging-out teeth of the cutter;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a'conipleted cutter which is the same as the cutter shown in Fig. 4 except that both sets of teeth of the cutter have been provided with primary and secondary clearance;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the rear portion of an inverted shoe illustrating the sole of the shoe before the heel-seat fitting operation;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the rear portion of the inverted shoe illustrating the portion of a sole shown in Fig. 6 after the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole has'been trimmed by a rotary back cutter;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an inverted shoe positioned upon a pair of crease plates, the sole of which shoe has had its heel-seat fitted and illustrating the relative position of the cutterand the shoe during a portion of the shoulder-forming and winging-out operation; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the shoe and the cutter illustrated in Fig. 8 looking from the side and rearwardly of the shoe.

In fitting a heel-seat portion 20 of a sole 22 attached to a shoe 24 for the reception of a Cuban heel in the above-mentioned Bessom machine a pair of crease plates 26 are inserted between the rear portion of the sole 22 and the lasted-in portion 28 of the upper material of the shoe for supporting the sole being operated upon and for protecting the shoe upper from being damaged by the trimming instrumentalities. After the shoe has been properly positioned in the machine, the rear portion of the sole 22 of the shoe shown in Fig. 6 is partially fitted in the Bessom machine by a rotary back cutter (not shown) which trims surplus stock from around the periphery of the rear portion of the sole to shape the outline 19 of the heel-seat portion :20 of the sole (Fig. '4') to a size adapted to fit within the concave-attaching face of the heel and to form upon the solo a convexlyshaped, beveled marginal portion 30 substantially complemental to the corresponding portion of the attaching face of the heel with which the sole is to engage.

As already stated, in order properly to fit the sole for the reception of a Cuban heel, it is desirable to form upon the sole 22 curved heel-broest-receiving abutinents or shoulders 32 8 and which serve to locate the heel correctly upon the shoe and against which the breast of the heel rests. The fitted sole should also have a well-defined dihedral. angle (Fig.8) formed between each of the heel-breast-receiving shoulders and the heel-seat portion of the sole adjacent to each shoulder, this angle being approximately of the same magnitude as'the angle formed be tween the breast and the attaching face of the heel which is to be applied to the shoe. In order to complete the lieel-seat fitting of the sole which has been trimmed by the back outter to a shape such as shown in Fig. 7, it is the practice to form the heel-breast-recci-. 'ing shoulders upon the sole and to remove or wing out portions 29 (Fig. 8) from the forward lateral corners of the sole between the shoulders 82 and the peripherally trimmed portion 30 of the sole formedby the back cutter thus providing a sole which is completely fitted, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, for receiving the heel. The shoulder-forming and winging-out operations are carried out simultaneously in the Bessom machine above referred to by moving a rot 3y cutter 38 across the sole of the shoe from'one side 35 of the sole to the other ile 3? substantially at the breast line 39 or the sole.

The rotary cutter 38 (Fig. comprises a series of circumferentially ar iged teeth having cutting edges 42 lying substantially in the conical surface slat (Fig. 1) of one of two cones 4.3 and 45 having a common base l7 and constructed and arranged to form the heel-breastreceiving shoulders and another series of circumferentially disposed teeth 46, the cutting edges 48 of which lie substantially in the conical'surface 50 (Fig.

1) of the other of the cones and are constructed and arranged to wing out the portions 29 of the sole. As fully explained in the abovementioned Bessom application, the rotary cutter 38 successively generates heel-breastreceiving shoulders, 32 and Wings out the forward lateral portions 29 of the sole as it moves from one side 35 of the sole to the other sides 37, the shaft 52 upon which the cutter rotates being inclined to the plane of the sole at such an angle that the cone 5O generated by the cutting edges 48 will lie upon one of the crease plates 26 (Figs. 8 and 9) the angle of inclination usually being about In order that the winging-out teeth 46 will trim the heel-seat portion 20 ofthe sole so that theforward marginal edges 54 and 55 (Fig. 9) of the heel-seat portion of the sole will lie substantially parallel to the original sides 35, 37, respectively, (Fig. 6) of the sole in the vicinity of the breast line 39 thereof, the shaft 52 is inclined at approximately 9 to a plane normal to the sole and passing through the median line 58 thereof and is swung from an angle of about 9 on one side of the median line of the sole to an angle of about 9 on the other side of the medianline of the sole as it passes over the uncut median portion of the sole. The inclination of the cutter 38 to said plane may be varied, however, depend.

ported overhanging portion 62 (Fig. 9) of each of the shoulders and thus minimize the tendency of the overhanging portion 62 of the shoulder to curl in the finished shoe. The rotary cutter 38 and the shaft 52 are mount-ed for movement len thwise and hei 'htwise of the sole as they are moved across the sole to form the curved shoulders 32 each of which is inclined to the median line 58 of the sole and has a height equal to the full thickness of the sole at its overhanging portion 62 and diminishes in height from one of the marginal edges 54, 55 of the heel-seat portion of the sole to the uncut median portion 64 of the sole. The shoulder-forming teeth are arranged in alternating staggered relation circumfe-rentially of the con-es to the wingingout teeth 46 and are spaced therefrom to form chip-disposing openings or channels 47 (Fig. 5) extending substantially circumferentially of the cutter. The openings or channels 47 form with each other a zigzag chip disposing channel which extends circun'iferentially around the cutter. The winging-out teeth 46 and the shoulder-forming teeth 40 are provided with plane faces 66 and 68, respective ly, each of which is inclined at a steep angle to the common base 4'7 of the cones and to an axis of rotation v82 of the cutter, the faces 66 and 68also being inclined to each other and terminating in cutting edges 42 and 48, re-

spectively, which, during the operation of the cutter, sever sole material by a series ofdraw slicing cuts.

In order that the corner 70 of the angle 34 formed by the shoulders 32 and the lateral forward portions of the heelseat port-ion of the sole shall be clean cut, the outer ends 72, 74 of the cutting edges of the shoulder-for1ning teeth 40 and winging-out teeth 46, respectively, terminate substantially at the periphcry 76 (Fig. 1) of the common base 47 of the cones 43 and 45.

There is a tendency on the part of a leather sole 22 to be picked up or distorted while it is being operated upon by a cutter with a result that the leather is often out too deeply and in order to minimize this condition the cutting edges 42 of the shoulder-forming teeth 40 which lie in the conical surface 44 and are inclined to the axis of rotation 82 of the cutter are arranged to cut down uponthe sole 22 as the cutter 38 is moved across the sole, the effective cutting first taking place at the root of each of the teeth and progressing toward the end 7 4 of each of the teeth. Since the cutting edges 48 of the shoulder-forming teeth 46 are inclined at a steepangle to the axis of rotation 82 each of these teeth will tend to hold down a portion of the sole lifted by the immediately preceding shoulder-forming tooth. For further assisting in preventing the sole 22 from being distorted during the shoulder-forming and winging-out operation, the cutter is provided with a button 78 formed from a portion of the original conical surface 50,which button 78 presses the heel-seat portion 20 of the sole against the crease plates 26 as the cutter moves across the sole of the shoe.

In manufacturing the rotary cutter it is the practice to form a blank 80 (Fig. 1) having the general form of two cones 43, placed base to base and having the common axis 82, the conical surfaces including between them an angle 88 which is nearly equal to the angle 34 formed between the shoulders 32 and the heel-seat portion of the sole, the differences between these angles depending upon the generated curvature of the shoulder 32 widthwise of the sole. The blank 80 has a threaded recess 90 in one end thereof for mounting it upon an arbor while making the cutter, this recess later being used to mount the cutter upon the shaft 52 of the machine. After the blank 80 has been formed to the shape desired as illustrated in Fig. 1, four straight cuts or grooves 92 (Fig. 2) inclined to the axis 82 of the blank are milled in the blank at equally spaced distances around the conical surfaces 44, of the blank 80, each of the cuts beginning in one of the conical surfaces and terminating in the other conical surface. After the first series of cuts has been completed, another series of straight cuts or grooves 94 is formed in the blank 80 at Ill) its conical surfaces 44, 50, which grooves 94 alternate circumferentially of the conical surfaces 44, with the first cut grooves 9:2 and join the first cut grooves 92 and are inclined to the axis 82 of the blank. Each of the second cut groves 94 also begins at one of the conical surfaces of the blank and terminates at the other conical surface of the blank 80. The two series of cuts above described are of considerable depth and form the shoulderforming teeth 40 and the winging-out teeth 46. A portion of the conical surface 50 from which the winging-out teeth 46 are formed is next milled to form secondary clearance 96 (Figs. 4: and 5) for each of the winging-out teeth 46, the conical surface at from which the shoulder-forming teeth 40 are shaped also being milled to form secondary clearance 98 (Fig. on each of the teeth 41-0. After the above operations have been completed, the shoulder-forming and winging-out teeth 4O, 46 are finally backed 01f to form primary clearances 100, 102, respectively, (Fig. 5). By terminating the ends of the grooves 92 short of the end portion of the conical surface 50 a portion of the original conical surface 50 remains uncut and serves as the button 78 for pressing the heel-seat portion 20 against the crease plates 26 during the trunming operation as above explained.

The method of manufacturing the abovedescribed cutter is claimed in application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 602.493, iiled April 1, 1932, which is a division of the present application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A rotary cutter for operatin upon leather comprising two serles of c rcumferentially arranged teeth having cuttlng edges of the shape of a conic section, the cutting edges of the teeth of one series being in staggered relation circumferentially of the cutter to the teeth of the other series and the teeth of one series forming with the teeth of the other series a chip disposing channel extending substantially circumferentially of the cutter and defined in part by opposed faces formed on consecutive teeth, respectively, and each of which terminates in one of said cutting edges.

2. A rotary cutter for operating upon leather comprising two series of circumferentially arranged teeth having cutting edges of the general shape of a conic section, the cutting edges of one series of teeth lying substantially in the conical surface of one of two cones placed base to base and the cutting edges of the teeth of the other series lying substantially in the conical surface of the other of said cones, the teeth of one series being in staggered relation circumferentially of the cones to the teeth of the other series and including a zigzag chip disposing channel extending circumferentially of the cutter and defined in part by opposed faces formed on consecutive teeth, respectively, and each of which terminates in one of said cutting edges.

3. A rotary cutter having a series of circumferentially arranged teeth provided with cutting edges lying substantially in the conical surface of one of two cones placed base to base and constructed and arranged to form heel-breast-receiving shoulders upon the sole of a shoe, and a second series of circumferentially disposed teeth the cutting edges of which lie substantially in the conical surface of the other of said cones constructed and arranged to Wing out portions of said sole adjacent to said shoulders, the cutting portions of the teeth of one series being arranged in staggered overlapping relation circumferentially of the cones to the cutting portions of the teeth of the other series and form ing therewith a chip disposing channel OX- tending substantially circumferentially of the cutter.

4. A rotary cutter for operating upon leather having two series of circumferentially arranged teeth having cutting edges of the general shape of a conic section, the cutting edges of one series of teeth lying substantially in a conical surface of one of two cones placed base to base and the cutting edges of the teeth of the other series lying substantially in the conical surface of the other of said cones, and the teeth of one series being arranged in staggered relation circumferentially of the cones to the teeth of the other series, each of the teeth having a face terminating in a cutting edge and spaced from and in opposed relation to said face of an adjacent tooth to form a chip disposing channel extending substan tially circumferentially of the cutter and including the common base of the cones.

5. A rotary cutter for operating upon leather having two series of circumferentially arranged teeth of the shape of a conic section, the cutting edges of one series of teeth lying substantially in the conical surface of one of two cones placed base to base and the cutting edges of the other series of teeth lying substantially in the other of said cones, each of the teeth having a face spaced from and opposed to a face of an adjacent tooth to form a. chip disposing opening extending circumferentially of the cutter and having its cutting edge in overlapping relation circumferentially of the cutter with the cutting edge of an adjacent tooth.

6. A rotary cutter having, in combination, two series of circumferentially disposed teeth having cutting edges of the general shape of a conic section, the cutting edges of the teeth of one series lying substantially in the conical surface of one of two cones placed base to base and constructed and arranged to form heel-breast-receiving shoulders upon the sole of a shoe, and the cutting edges of the teeth of the other series lying substantially in the conical surface of the other of said cones and constructed and arranged to wing out portions of the sole adjacent to said shoulders, each of the teeth having a pair of faces inclined to the base of the cones and one of which terminates in a cutting edge, said faces being constructed and arranged to form a chip disposing channel extending substantially circumferentially of the cutter and including the common base of the cones and constructed to permit a chip which is partially removed by the cutting edge of one tooth to enter the channel and to be removed from the sole by a successive tooth.

7. A rotary cutter having, in combination, two series of circumferentially disposed teeth having cutting edges of the general shape of a conic section, the cutting edges of the teeth of one series lying substantially in the conical surface of one of .two cones placmd base to base and constructed and arranged to form heel-breast-receiving shoulders upon the sole of a shoe, and the cutting edges of the teeth of the other series lying substantially in the conical surface of the other of said cones and constructed and arranged to wing out portions of the sole adjacent to said shoulders, the cutting edges of the teeth of one series being in staggered relationwith and verlapping circumferentially of the cutter the cutting edges of the teeth of the other series and the teeth of one series forming with the teeth of the other series a chip disposing channel extending circumferentially of the cutter.

8. A rotary cutter having two series .of circumferentially arranged teeth, the cutting edges of one series of teeth lying substan tially in the conical surface of one of two cones placed base to base and the cutting edges of the other series of teeth lying substantially in the conical surface of the other of said cones, each of the teeth having a pair of faces inclined to the base of the cones and one of which terminates at the cutting edge of the tooth, said faces being constructed and arranged to form a chip disposing opening extending circumferentially of the cutter, and the cutting edges of the teeth of one series overlaping circumferentially the cutting edges ofthe teeth of the other series.

9. A rotary cutter for operating upon leather having two series of circumferentially arranged teeth having cutter edges of the shape of a conic section, the cutting edges of one series of teeth lying substantially in a conicalsurface of one of two cones placed base to base and the cutting edges of the teeth of the other series lying substantially in the conical surface of the other of said cones, the cutting edges of teeth of one series being in overlapping relation circumferentially of the cones tothe cutting edges of teeth of the other series and the teeth of one series-forming with the teeth of the other series a chip disposing channel extending substantially n circumferentially of the cutter, the outer ends of the cutting edges of the teeth of both series terminating in the noon base of the cones.

10. A rotary cutter for operating upon leather provided with two series of circumferentially arranged teeth having the general shapeof a conic section, the cutting edges of one series of teeth lying substantially in a plane of the comconical'surface of one of two cones placed base to base and the cutting edges of the teeth of the other series lying substantially in the conical surface of the other of said cones, the outer ends of the cutting edges of the teeth of both series terminating substantially at the periphery of the common'bas e of the cones and each of the teeth having a face which terminates in a'cutting edge and is spaced from and is opposed to and overlaps a face of an adjacent tooth to form a chip portions of the sole adjacent to said shoulders, the teeth of one series being in staggered relation circumferentially of the cones to the teeth of the other series, and having a face constructed and arranged to engage the heel seat portion of the sole during the operation of the cutter to prevent the sole from being picked up by the same.

12. A rotary cutter having two series of teeth provided with cutting edges which lie substantially in the surfaces of two cones placed base to base constructed and arranged to form heel-breast-receiving shoulders upon the soles of shoes and to wing out portions of the soles adjacent to the shoulders and having a conical surface constructed and arranged to engage the heel-seat portions of the soles during the operation of the cutter for holding the soles from being picked up by the cutter as they are operated upon by the cutter.

13. A rotary cutter having, in combination, a series of circumferentially disposed teeth having cutting edges lying substantially in the conical surface of one of two cones placed 7 base to base and constructed and arranged to form breast-receiving shoulders upon the sole of a shoe, a second seriesof circumferentially disposed teeth,.the cutting edges of which lie substantially in the conical surface of the other of said cones constructed and arranged to Wing out portions of the sole adjacent to said shoulders, the teeth of one series being in staggered relation circumferentially of the cones to the teeth of the other series and a conical surface formed and arranged for engaging. the sole during-the operation of the cutter to prevent the solefrom being picked up by the cutter during said operation.

14. A rotary cutter h aving, in combination a series of circumferentially disposed teeth having cutting edges lying substantially in the conical surface of one of two conesplaced base to base and constructed and arranged to formbreast-receiving shoulders upon the sole of a shoe,.a' second series of circumferentially disposed teeth the cutting edges of which liesubstantially in the conical surface of the other of said cones constructed and arranged to wing. out portions of the sole adj acent to said shoulders, said teeth having cutting faces inclined to the plane of rotation of thecutter'and theteeth of one series being in staggered relation circumferentially of the cones to the teeth of the other series. and a conical surface adjacent to the winging-out teeth constructed and arranged to engage the sole during the operation of the cutter to prevent the sole from being distorted by the cutter during said. operation.-

15; A rotary cutter having,in combination, a series of circumf'erentially disposed teeth having cutting. edges lying: substantially in the conical surfacexof one of two cones placed base to base, and? a second series of circumferentially disposed teeth the eutting'edges of which liesubstantially in the conical surface of the other of said cones, the cutting edges of the teeth of one series being in staggered relation with and overlapping circumferentially' the cutting edges of the other series and each of the teeth havinga pair of faces inclined to the common base of the cones, said faces beingconstructed and arranged to form a Zigzag chip disposing channel extending circumferential-1y of the cutter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EARL A. BESSOM. 

